Covid-19/Coronavirus and Teacher Trainings

We know that the virus has quickly swept the world and made a huge impact on all of us.

We’re doing our best to navigate these rocky waters and best serve you all in the process.

We’re trying to be as flexible as possible with refunds, cancellations, and postponements. We recognize that many are in a tough position financially.

We also know that yoga and meditation continue to be the foundation that keeps so many of us healthy, happy and grounded.

Some of our hosts have decided to offer online retreats and teacher trainings while everyone is in lockdown. If you’re interested, those are above :)

Sending you a big hug, wherever you are in the world.

Find The Best 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Courses 2020

You might be wanting to deepen your personal practice, learn how to become a yoga instructor, or just have a deeply transformational experience.

Whatever your reason, the 200-hour training program is where most people start their journey into teaching yoga and mindfulness.

A 200-hour yoga instructor certification is normally a month-long in-depth study of yoga in an intensive setting and is the standard requirement for Yoga Alliance certified teachers, and a life-changing experience.

Mantras: the utterance of certain sounds, either internally or externally, to affect the system or environment

Chanting and Kirtan: singing or chanting with mantras to purify yourself and space

Prayer: offering oneself up in devotion

Kriyas: a process of performing an internal action, often involving the breath

Concentration: the ability to achieve a single-pointed focus on an internal or external object

Meditation: a direct practice of inner discovery

The training will include direct training on a combination of these practices, as well as instruction on how to teach them. Practices will be both guided experientially, and broken down intellectually.

2. Teaching Methods

Hours of instruction: 25

Methods of teaching yoga are different than specific instructions on teaching certain techniques like a set of yoga asanas, or specific mantras. Those would fall under the Yogic Techniques category.

Here are examples of what yogis might learn in this part of the 200-hour teacher training course:

Specific needs: every person who comes to your classes or retreats have their own needs. Training in how to meet those needs in both personal and group atmospheres is crucial in an RYT certification.

Communication skills: how to create proper boundaries in the classroom, set priorities, manage your time and work with the unique dynamics that every group manifests.

How students learn: not everyone just “gets” the practice. Instruction on the general progression students take as they learn and absorb the intellectual material and experiential practices.

Demonstrating: instruction on the process of teaching practice itself. How to properly show the practice, be aware of your students as they try, then helping and correcting them.

Teaching styles: everyone has their own style of teaching and depending on the style of yoga you’ll be learning there are specifics to be learned.

Attributes of a great teacher: instruction on how to truly embody the privilege and position of being a yoga teacher. What qualities and attributes make a great yoga teacher.

The business of yoga: becoming certified is one part of the journey.

Turning your certification into a thriving yoga offering is where the business side comes in. 5 hours is the maximum that can be dedicated to teaching the business side of yoga. Often, yoga teachers will need additional training as 5 hours simply scratches the surface.

That’s why so many end up offering retreats with us at BookRetreats. We make business easier so you can spend more time doing what you do best: teaching yoga :)

3. Anatomy and Physiology

Hours of instruction: 20

If you’re going to be working with bodies being stretched and moved in ways people aren’t used to, it’s incredibly important to have a basic understanding of anatomy. Many teachers will get additional yoga anatomy training as they find the 200-hour certification provides only the basics.

You’ll learn about the human system including the muscular-skeletal structure, the nervous system, and the organs. This section of the course can include the anatomy of the energy body as well, including study of the chakras and nadis (energy channels).

At least 5 of the 20 hours in the course has to be dedicated toward applying the anatomical knowledge specifically to yoga. This is to ensure that the knowledge doesn’t remain intellectual, but is able to be applied to the classroom setting.

Additional potential included topics: contraindications (specific situations where people should not do a certain practice or movement), benefits of certain practices and teaching methodology, and how to move the body in an aligned and healthy way.

4. Yogic Philosophy and Ethics While Teaching

Hours of instruction: 30

At least 2 of these hours must be dedicated specifically to the yoga philosophy of ethics while teaching yoga. Why?

Because you’ll run into many different dynamics that will test your ethics. Situations that don’t necessarily have clear or easy answers. Places where you’ll have to use your best judgment and ultimately your intuition.

Some example areas of instruction:

Traditional texts: reading and interpreting texts like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the Bhagavad Gita.

Ethics: how to deal with student-teacher dynamics, including relationships and sexuality.

Seva: becoming an instrument of service to others through delivering the practice of yoga in a pure and authentic way.

Yogic lifestyle: adopting various practices from the Yamas and Niyamas (two of the limbs of yoga from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras), and the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet when doing yoga.

5. Actual Teaching Practice

Hours of instruction: 10

Every student on the course must spend a minimum of 5 hours as the headteacher of a class. This does not include assisting other teachers, getting feedback or critique from the leader of the course, or critiquing other students on the course. It must be direct practice as the headteacher.

However, the time when the student is getting feedback on their teaching is included in the 5-hour minimum.

Typically you’ll receive practice in the following areas:

Teaching: practice teaching by being the head instructor and leading an actual class, normally composed of the students on the course itself

Feedback: getting feedback from both the lead teacher of the course and your fellow students. Giving feedback to your fellow students based on their teaching.

Assisting: adjusting, observing, and helping in various ways as someone else is the lead teacher.

Electives

Hours of instruction: 15

The remaining 15 hours can comprise of any of the above 5 categories. This is where each teacher training intensive can give a more specific focus to the retreat.

They might focus on going deeper into a specific practice like meditation, or even teach you much more about the business side of yoga.

Note: after receiving your RYT you must document a certain amount of hours of teaching experience every year with Yoga Alliance as well as take continuing education hours in order to spice up your yoga training knowledge :)

Different Schools

With so many certification programs for becoming a yoga instructor being offered, what are the best 200-hour yoga teacher training programs?

Really there is no “best.” But there are yoga schools that offer more and less authentic transmissions of the science of yoga. Our highest recommendation for a specific school is the Isha School of Hatha Yoga.

Funnily enough, they aren’t Yoga Alliance certified. But they are the most authentic transmission of yoga we’ve encountered on this planet.

Outside of that, our recommendation is to choose a program that will fit how you’d like to teach yoga. Choosing what style of yoga is super important, because the types of yoga vary all the way from calm and relaxing Yin Yoga, to the more intensely physical Vinyasa or Ashtanga Yoga. In addition to Vinyasa yoga, Hatha, and Ashtanga you can also explore the realms of asana in restorative yoga, aerial yoga, kundalini yoga, hot yoga, ashtanga vinyasa flow yoga, Kripalu yoga, children's yoga, prenatal yoga, Jivamukti yoga, yoga therapy, yoga Nidra meditation and more.

So how do you choose the right yoga school or yoga styles for you?

Look for a yoga studio, yoga district, yoga center or ashram that lets you build a strong foundation of both your yoga practice as well as the fundamentals of teaching asana classes. Only by marrying these two aspects of yoga will successful completion of the training program prepare you for a life of teaching.

In the meantime, prepare yourself for an unforgettable journey.

Study the history and philosophy of yoga as well as the curriculum of the yoga school you choose. Find your authentic voice as you build a life based on the principles of yoga. Immerse yourself in the yoga lifestyle and practice yoga for your own self-growth. Allow the training experience to change your life while working to obtain those RYT letters after your name.

Looking for the best yoga certification programs this year? You won't wanna miss these teacher training program offerings that we put together just for you:

Top Destinations for Yoga Teacher Training Programs

An intensive yoga teacher training program will help you learn yoga postures, pranayama breathing, teaching methodology, and the general yoga lifestyle. It will give you a deeper understanding of ancient yogic traditions and what it means to be a part of the yoga community. It will give you practice teaching yoga, as well as an opportunity to beautifully dedicate yourself to your health and well-being. When you choose your favorite yoga teacher training program, the destination is almost secondary...

India provides a wonderfully immersive experience. It’s the homeland of yoga, and yoga is weaved into their culture in such beautiful ways. Arhanta Yoga and Rishikesh Yogpeeth are two very popular schools in India.

The Americas have become a hotbed for yoga, with many yoga studios offering teacher trainings. If you’ve been part of a studio for a period of time, and want to end up teaching in that studio, it’s good to take their teacher training. New York City, known as “the Big Apple” to Americans, has a huge amount of options for yoga classes, yoga academy, retreats, and teacher trainings.

A beautiful mix of jungle and nearby beaches. You just might be able to get in a surf trip or zip line over a beautiful canopy in the very small amount of downtime during your course. Blue Osa and Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort are among the most popular spots for yoga in Costa Rica.

Bali is becoming one of the top destinations for yoga in the world. It offers a mix of beautiful weather, a rich local culture, and a community of spiritual enthusiasts. The Yoga Barn is in Bali and is one of the most popular yoga retreat centers in the world.

Thailand has long been a tourist destination, and because of it, they have a sophisticated tourism industry. It’s never a problem to get to your destination, they’ve got a whole flight to shuttle to ferry to bus system worked out for you. Just slap a sticker on your shirt and you get guided along. The country is known for its stunning beaches and incredible jungle life. A true paradise. Pure Flow Yoga is a popular retreat center that has a popular rating among our yogi friends.

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Who are we?

We are a team of yogis who came together to put our energy into making the world a better place by connecting you with life-changing yoga retreats, meditation retreats, wellness retreats, and yoga teacher trainings. We are all about spreading love!

Why choose us?

We aren't just a business, we are family. When you book with us, you can be sure that your experience will be full of love, security, understanding, and joy every step of the way. From helping you find the perfect retreat to taking care of you when things go wrong, we treat you like family.